


When the Sun Sets on the Heart

by Lillyanne33



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Anger, Angry Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Abuse, Arguing, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bad Flirting, Bartenders, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Bullying, Childhood Friends, Control Issues, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Dorks in Love, Drinking, Drug Use, Eating, Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Issues, First Kiss, First Love, Fist Fights, Flirting, Forbidden Love, French Kissing, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship / Flirting / Thinking of You Fest, Friendship/Love, Funny, Gentle Kissing, Happy Ending, Harm to Animals, High School, Horny Teenagers, I hope this is everything, Identity Issues, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kissing, Lawyers, Lies, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Makeup Sex, Male-Female Friendship, Meddling, Mentions of Anakin, Minor Violence, Miscommunication, Murder, Neck Kissing, Oral Sex, Past Abuse, Past Violence, Protective Rey (Star Wars), Recreational Drug Use, Relationship Issues, Rey & Rose Tico Friendship, Rey Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Rey is a Palpatine (Star Wars), Romance, Romantic Friendship, Rough Sex, Rumors, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Humor, Sexual Tension, Star Wars References, Surprise Kissing, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teen Years, Teenage Dorks, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, This is such a long list, Time Skips, True Love, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Vaginal Sex, Violence, Virgin Rey (Star Wars), We love animals here, Young Ben Solo, and spoken about not shown, but it’s only briefly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:54:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29764758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillyanne33/pseuds/Lillyanne33
Summary: Rey Palpatine and Ben Solo find themselves in an unusual situation their senior year of high school. It brings them together despite their differences, but the dark side of fate rips them apart. Ten years pass. Destiny brings them together again. Everything has changed.But everything is still the same.Reylo High School to Adult AU
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Sheev Palpatine & Rey
Comments: 9
Kudos: 27





	1. The Boy

**Author's Note:**

> This work is dedicated to Lisa Beth @XOXOLiBar and Renee @reylo4real. Thank you for inspiring me after a long creative drought. 💜💜
> 
> This fic explores the relationship between teenagers Rey Palpatine and Ben Solo in present day along with their relationship as adults. They are both 18 years old at the beginning of the story. It has a happy ending!!! I guess this is a slow burn, sort of. Time skips forward dramatically at one point, so it goes fast for us but not for them. 😂 I hope this story makes you smile, laugh, and feel all the feels. 
> 
> If you want to find me on Twitter, my username is @lillyaneeeeeee. Come say hello! 
> 
> And as always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my work. It will never cease to amaze me that people truly want to know what I have to say. I love you all so much and hope you enjoy!

“Oh look, Solo sitting solo...AGAIN.”

The blond headed teen’s voice echoed through the cafeteria. She towered over the young man despite the fact that he was unusually tall. His raven black hair covered his porcelain face, just grazing his shoulders, as he sat slumped down in his chair. Light reflected off his thin-rimmed glasses—they felt out of place for someone known for darkness and violence. He didn’t turn his head, deciding to continue eating his cafeteria pizza as if the girl wasn’t even there.

“I’m not surprised. You’re a monster, you know that? You broke James’s nose,” she continued, bending her body into his line of sight. The boy looked up at her briefly before focusing back on his dwindling pizza slice.

“Are you going to break mine too? I bet you would, even though I’m a girl. I bet you’re that type.”

Her voice grew louder, causing the large group of people eating in the cafeteria to go quiet. She flipped her curled locks over her shoulder and stuck her hip out, showing off just how short her varsity cheer skirt was for the crowd. It was quite a show for the second week of senior year at Naboo High.

Rey turned her head quickly, finally hearing the the whiny girl through the music blasting from her air pods. She took them out of her ears and put them away, her face turning redder by the moment as she watched the trashy girl taunt the boy that Rey sat next to in English class. 

It wasn’t the first time Rey had watched the boy get bullied. His freshman and sophomore years were rough—he hadn’t quite grown into his body yet. He was lanky and unsure of how to carry himself. It seemed every boy in the school had something horrible to say to him, sometimes even attempting to fight him. 

He never fought back, though, not until the summer before junior year. He had discovered weight lifting and had grown significantly bigger and stronger. An older boy tried to harass him in the street, and that was when the boy named Ben Solo finally snapped. His father had tried to drag him off the other boy before Ben killed him, but Ben attacked his father too. The boy’s parents pressed charges, and Ben got sent to Naboo Juvenile Detention Center for a year. 

No one bothered him when he got out, and he made sure it stayed that way by embracing his violent tendencies. All it took was a look, and boys, and even grown men, would run away, afraid of ending up like the boy over the summer—he had to have his jaw wired back together.

“Solo is quiet today!” The girl continued, stepping in front of the Ben’s empty table. “You had so much to say on Saturday.”

Ben finally looked directly at the blond, his expression so sinister that it made her take a minuscule step backwards. His eyes were narrowed with rage in the fluorescent light.

“James got what he deserved,” he said, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper. 

Rey leaned in so she could hear him better. She felt physically ill. Everyone hated Patrice, and for good reason, but she had never done something as stupid as harassing Ben. 

“That was HIS dog,” she continued. “James was just playing with him and accidentally tapped him in the face a little too hard. Now my boyfriend’s nose is fucked up because of you. He had a modeling gig next week!”

Ben’s knuckles were turning white as he gripped the table in front of him. Rey looked around, waiting for one of his friends to come to his aid. 

No one came.

“He fucking hit that dog, Patrice,” he growled as his grip caused the table to crack. 

“No, he didn’t!” Patrice placed both of her hands on the table and leaned in. “You’re just a murderer in the making.” She turned towards the cafeteria to address the other students. “Just wait, one of you is going to end up missing because no one bothered to do something about Solo.” She turned back to the boy. “You should still be in juvie, you fucking freak show.”

Rey’s body moved before her mind could catch up. 

“Fuck off, you bitch,” she yelled, louder than she actually meant to yell. She put her hand on the Ben’s rigid shoulder, noticing how quickly it relaxed under her touch. His eyes were glassy from a buildup of tears as he looked up at her, shock clearly written all over his face.

Patrice’s mouth dropped open. “Wow, little miss perfect has a mouth on her.”

The room filled with murmuring as Rey glared at Patrice. Ben couldn’t take his eyes off of Rey’s face.

Rey snarled, her British accent filling the large room. “This is my boyfriend, so LAY THE FUCK OFF.”

The room went silent again. Patrice couldn’t form words as she tried to process what was happening in front of her.

“Come on, Ben, we have our study date, remember?” Rey squeezed his shoulder through his thick, black hoodie. 

He sat frozen for a moment, barely breathing. She raised a brow, jarring him out of his stupor. He gathered his things and made sure to pack them as aggressively as he could to make his point.

Before the pair made it to the exit, Rey threw her head over her shoulder and called out to Patrice, “Oh, tell James to say hi to his plastic surgeon, my GRANDFATHER.”

Gasps filled the air as they left the cafeteria.


	2. An Unexpected Friend

Ben shook Rey’s hand off of his shoulder the second they were alone in an empty classroom. He was so angry, and Rey didn’t know what to think.

“What is it?” She asked, setting her backpack down on a desk.

“Just go, Rey,” Ben mumbled, tossing his bag on a desk.

“What?” She furrowed her brows and moved towards him.

“I said go, Rey,” he repeated, louder this time.

“But...”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” He shouted at the wide-eyed brunette. “I don’t need a fucking girl to defend me.”

Rey’s mouth dropped open in shock as she watched Ben run his hand through his mop of black hair. He removed his glasses so he could rub the bridge of his nose. When she didn’t move, he straightened himself to full height, trying to make himself look more intimidating. She gulped loudly and stepped back.

“I just wanted to help,” she said, so quiet it was almost a whisper. 

“Well congratulations, you made everything worse,” he hissed, his teeth bared. “Why are you even here? Don’t you have a fucking beta club meeting or some shit?”

Rey felt her blood pressure rising.

“Excuse me for caring about my fellow classmate!” She yelled, startling Ben. “I don’t think you deserve to be treated like that.”

“Oh, and telling the whole school you’re my girlfriend is a better scenario? Nobody is going to believe that! Now I look weak as shit.”

Rey stepped forward. “Why?”

Ben huffed a miserable laugh. “Have you looked in a mirror today? You’re fucking...straight A, volunteer, goody two shoes, valedictorian...” He threw his large hand up and swooped it up and down in front of her. “I guarantee you—nobody believed you back there, and now I’m the pussy that let a girl fight for him.”

Rey paused, a thought occurring to her.

“Well, what if you kept acting like my boyfriend?”

Ben blinked. “Do you hear yourself?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m serious. It would only have to be for a month or two. We could just pretend—say I did it because I’m so into you that I couldn’t stop myself.”

There was a long pause before Ben spoke again. “So you’re willing to be my girlfriend—BEN SOLO’S girlfriend? Not just a regular dude, but me, the infamous Ben Solo, who beats up everyone who looks at him sideways, who beats up his own father...just so I can save face?”

Rey’s eyes bored into him. “I guess that is what I’m saying.”

“Why would you do that?”

Ben’s question was valid. Rey didn’t like the answer, but she said it anyway. “I’m just...I’m bored. I feel like I do the same thing every day. It would be good for me to mix things up for a change. And maybe we could be sort of friends.”

Ben chewed on his bottom lip while he stared at Rey, deep in thought. 

She looked at the ground as she spoke again. “I think you could really use a friend.”

Ben’s expression was foreign, as if an emotion he hadn’t experienced in a long time was suddenly rising to the surface. 

“It would make you look better to date me, anyway” she added.

“You really think highly of yourself,” he snarked, yanking a chair and pulling it out to sit down. “Should I get on my knees and bow?”

Rey pulled out her own chair and sat down directly across from him. She leaned in, and Ben’s tough exterior cracked a little as he watched her with confusion.

“I’d prefer you prostrate yourself on the ground while chanting, ‘Rey the Great.’”

A beat passed where the two stared at each other before Ben started to laugh. Rey realized she had never heard him laugh before. A tiny smile grew on her face.

“So the bookworm bites.” He grinned at her. “I wouldn’t have thought that.”

“There’s a lot that people don’t know about me,” she said, smoothing her shoulder-length hair with her hands and looking at the ground.

Suddenly the room seemed to get hotter as the two fell into an awkward silence. They stole glances at each other while trying to look anywhere else in the room. Rey wouldn’t admit that Ben was quite handsome despite his dark demeanor. She also wouldn’t admit that she had thought that from the moment he sat down next to her in English class, and he proceeded to use his shirt to wipe off his smudged lenses, revealing a bit of firm muscle around his hip.

He sighed loudly, breaking the tension and becoming serious. “This isn’t going to make me look better, you know. It’ll just make you look worse.”

Rey held his gaze, her face as serious as his. “I hope so.”

“What?”

She fiddled with her thin necklace while she thought about how to say what she had never said out loud. Ben was certainly not the person she expected to speak to about her struggle, but she felt that he might just understand her.

“No one knows me,” she admitted. “They think they know me, but they don’t. I’m sick and tired of the expectations and the pressure to maintain an image just because my grandfather is some hot shot surgeon who needs everything perfect.”

Ben waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. No one had ever really listened when she spoke, but Ben did.

“I can’t make any mistakes, can’t mess up or else. He has a certain image to keep, so I’ve been trained to be some docile, refined puppet. Everyone thinks that’s what I am. They have no idea who I am.”

She spoke with so much pain. He had never related to anyone more than he did with her in that moment.

“But I do,” he replied quietly. “I know who you are. You’re a prisoner.”

Rey’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded her head. She wiped a tear off her cheek with the back of her wrist. Ben scooted forward and used his thumb to wipe her other cheek before she could do it herself. Her face flushed red at the intimate gesture.

His thumb lingered a moment too long before pulling it away. He cleared his throat.

“I have the same problem,” he said, surprising Rey. “My mom is a senator, so I’m supposed to act a certain way so there isn’t any scandal that could stop her from getting reelected.” He chuckled darkly. “That ship sailed when I went to juvie. It’s easier to scare people away, to keep up the reputation of being the ‘bad kid.’ I don’t want to be in the news every fucking week—people watching me try to better myself and thinking I’m ‘finally turning my life around’ only to disappoint everyone when I inevitably fail.”

Rey sniffed and looked at his face, mentally tracing the little moles that dotted his pale skin. 

“You really do get it,” she said, clearly in awe of what was happening. “But Ben, you’re not the bad kid. It’s an act that doesn’t have to be true.”

He shrugged. “People think I’m a monster so why not become what they expect?”

“Because you’re not a monster,” she said confidently, staring at Ben intensely.

His eyes bounced back and forth between her eyes and lips as he spoke. “And you’re not alone.”

She smiled a sad smile. “Neither are you.”


	3. Give Them Something to Talk About

Rey and Ben walked to Rey’s car hand in hand once the school day ended. They couldn’t help the smirks on their faces as they watched eyes widen and fingers point. More and more students, even teachers, stopped and stared at the unlikely pair. 

Ben used his hip to bump Rey’s side gently, getting her attention. 

“Look at Mrs. Dorn.”

He pointed to the scandalized teacher in layered, earth-toned sweaters. She stood frozen in the parking lot as she watched the pair with a disgusted look on her face. Rey made direct eye contact and smiled widely. Mrs. Dorn shook her head in disappointment.

“I have her for algebra this year. She’s the only teacher that ever sent me to the principal’s office for my clothes.”

Ben grunted. “You?”

“Yes!” Rey pulled at the bottom of her white blouse. “She claimed that my shirt was too tight. The principal took one look at me and dismissed it.”

“She probably does that a lot,” Ben speculated. “Especially if Principal Mitaka doesn’t take her seriously.”

Rey giggled. “The look on his face when I walked in was priceless. I’ve never seen a man so defeated.”

“You know what it is?” Ben leaned down and put his mouth to Rey’s ear.

“Why what is?”

“Why Mrs. Dorn is insane about modesty?”

Rey stopped walking and turned toward Ben excitedly. “Tell me.”

Ben paused for effect. “She’s probably the kinkiest person in real life.”

Rey shouted a laugh. “No, she is not!”

Ben grabbed Rey by the arms with both hands and continued talking in her ear dramatically. “You know it’s true. She overcompensates to make herself feel better for all of her dark urges.” He finished his sentence with air quotes for emphasis. 

“That’s absurd,” Rey argued. “She’s like seventy years old.”

Ben grinned. “That wouldn’t stop ME.”

“Ben!” Rey shrieked and whacked him on the bicep. 

He chuckled. “What? They make shit for that. She probably has a sex swing for old people. The Senior Swing by Ortho-fucking-pedic—includes complementary Life Alert button.”

Rey was laughing uncontrollably. “That is horrible!!”

“I think I need to patent that,” he grinned.

Ben’s pale complexion was a soft shade of pink under the afternoon sunlight. It was surprising how funny he was—how attractive he was. Rey was thankful when they reached her car at the back of the lot. Her mind was going to dangerous places. 

“Okay, what do you want to do? Handshake? Hug? Slap on your ass?” He couldn’t stop the mischievous grin from appearing on his lips.

Rey gasped and covered her mouth to hide her own shocked smile. Her tone carried a warning. “Solo...”

Ben leaned against her white car, crossing his large arms across his chest. “Just letting you know you have options.”

The two smiled at each other.

“Seriously,” he continued, clearing his throat, “what are you comfortable with?”

Rey chewed on the inside of her mouth while deciding. “A hug is fine, I think.”

“Okay,” he repeated, pushing himself up off the car. “Okay.”

She stepped forward tentatively, trying not to show just how nervous she was, how inexperienced she was with boys. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his chest. Ben sat his chin on the top of her head. He breathed in deeply, and Rey could hear his heartbeat. It was beating rapidly.

“Okay, I guess I’ll go now,” she said, trying to hide the tremor in her voice as she stepped away.

“Yeah, okay,” he responded, not looking at her, already walking away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rey was halfway in the car when she yelled for Ben to come back. He trotted back over, his eyes sparkling. 

“Do you want my number? I mean, just so we can text about this or whatever,” she spoke, her words running into each other as she tried to get the question out as quickly as possible. 

“Oh,” he muttered, clearly caught off guard. “Uh, yeah, that’s fine. Give me your phone.”

Rey handed it over and watched him plug in his number. His hands were fascinating in the way they moved across the phone. They looked too big for such a tiny keyboard.

He handed the phone back to her, that same pink shade from earlier now spreading across his face.

“Thanks,” she said as she sat back down in the driver’s seat.

“Mmhm,” he mumbled, turning around abruptly and jogging towards his truck.

She watched him drive away, deep in thought, until a loud noise jolted her. Looking up, she saw her best friend Rose along with her other friends Finn and Poe. Finn was plastered against the car, smooshing his face into the window and calling her name in a muffled voice while his breath fogged up the glass.

“Don’t you dare leave!” Rose yelled, standing next to Finn. “Get out of the car RIGHT NOW!”

Rey opened the door and stood by the car, hugging herself while biting her lip. Rose, her petite, bubbly, black-haired best friend, took her by the arm roughly.

“What were you doing with Ben Solo?” She demanded.

Finn shoved his hands in his pockets while Poe hovered behind Rose with his hands on her shoulders, all of them crowding Rey against her car.

“Um,” Rey stuttered, trying to decide if she should tell them the truth.

“What is ‘um?’ That’s all you have to say?” Poe jumped up and down anxiously. “It’s the second week of school, and you’re already dating someone? We saw you hugging him. You don’t hug us like that.”

Rey decided to keep the sordid details of her relationship to herself. “Ben and I are dating,” she stated, trying to straighten her back so she looked confident.

Finn’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Are you crazy? He’s so weird, Rey. Everyone knows he’s bad news, even people outside of Naboo know about him. He was arrested for fucks sake!”

“What the hell is going on? And why didn’t you tell us?” Rose chimed in, her grip on Rey’s arm loosening as she watched her friend struggle to answer.

“Well, it kind of just happened.”

Rose narrowed her eyes. “What does that even mean?”

“We have English class together,” Rey explained, telling a half truth. “He’s really smart, so I asked him to help me with homework since I’m so bad at writing.”

“And so you immediately boned him?” Poe scoffed.

“No!” She shrieked. “We just...have a connection.”

The three friends stood silent as they stared at their friend as if she was a stranger.

“Rey,” Rose began, now taking hold of Rey’s hand, “you know we love you, right? We are just concerned for your safety.”

“And he IS violent, Rey,” Finn grumbled. “I heard he broke James Kennedy’s nose over the weekend. What if he hits girls too?”

A feeling of rage rushed into Rey’s chest. “Ben saw James being mean to his dog and stepped in. Frankly, I think it was warranted.”

“Okay,” Rose said, tentatively. “Well, you’re a virgin. I’m pretty sure he’s not from what I’ve heard all around Naboo.”

Rey sighed.”I’m not worried about that right now. We are just dating. And he...he respects me.”

“Ben Solo respecting someone...” Poe mused. “This is officially the strangest week ever.”

Rey narrowed her eyes at him.

“Do you have any idea what people are saying about you, though?” Finn sighed and leaned back against the hood of Rey’s car. “Think about your reputation. What if your grandfather finds out?”

“I don’t care about my reputation,” Rey argued, raising her voice. “And my grandfather doesn’t give a shit about what I do as long as it doesn’t make him look bad.”

Rose’s face fell.. “I’m sorry we made you mad. It’s just...this isn’t like you. Ben has a scary history. He could ruin your life, you know? He’s already fucked up his own.”

“He’s not going to ruin my life, Rose,” Rey said, hardening her tone. “If anything, I’ve found someone who just gets me, you know? He doesn’t deserve the shit he gets. You don’t know him.”

The three friends took a step back, sensing Rey’s anger building. She was normally so calm and pleasant, never getting very emotional like she was now. No one knew exactly what to say to make the situation any better. Rey being mad was uncharted territory. 

“I’m going home now.” Rey jingled her car keys as she turned to open her car door. “Please just be my friends and trust me. Please.”

The three nodded their heads silently. Rey blinked away tears as she pulled out of the parking lot. She thought about Ben and how no one ever gave him a chance. He wasn’t a person—just a name.

Like her.

**

Rey’s house was empty once again, so she made her way to her room and flopped down on her bed, wiped out from the events of the day. She picked up her phone and started to write Ben a text message.

Rey: Hey! It’s just Rey. This is my number.

She laid the phone down on her torso and spread out on the bed. She decided that she had earned a nap, but a new text message dinged before she could close her eyes.

Ben: Hello, just Rey. 

Rey: Hi.

Ben: Is that all you’re going to say?

Rey: Maybe. 

Ben: Stimulating.

Rey: What do you want to talk about, then?

Ben: Someone is in a bad mood. 

Rey: How could you possibly know that?

Ben: I can hear your voice in my head. I know what that sentence would sound like if you were here.

Rey: That’s creepy.

Ben: You’re the one with the British accent. I can’t un-hear it.

Rey: Okay, spell it phonetically for me. I’ll tell you if you’re right.

Ben: You’re really bossy.

Rey: Just do it, Solo.

Ben: “WHAUT dew yew whaunt tew TAULK about, THAN?”

Rey: is typing

Rey: is typing

Ben: ?

Rey: I’m sorry. I’m just laughing so hard. It’s hard to text you.

Ben: Does that mean I was right? 

Rey: Yes, yes, you were right.

Ben: Nailed it.

Rey: I can’t breathe.

Ben: That sounds like a problem.

Rey: From LAUGHING.

Ben: Then stop laughing.

Rey: I can’t.

Ben: I’m that funny?

Rey: Not to stroke your ego, but yes.

Ben: Mmm. What else would you stroke?

Rey: Goodnight Ben.

Ben: It’s an innocent question.

Rey: Goodnight Ben...

Ben: Do fake girlfriends do that stuff too?

Rey: GOODNIGHT BEN

Ben: I’m taking that as a yes.

Rey: ...

Ben: You didn’t say no.

Rey: OMG

Ben: What?

Rey: I am putting my phone down!

Ben: Classic denial.

Rey: I’m not texting you anymore.

Ben: You just did.

Rey: Goodnight Ben

Ben: Goodnight Rey

Rey laid on her back for a long time thinking about Ben. She hardly texted anyone that much, not even Rose. She picked up her phone and reread the text messages, smiling the entire time. When she shifted and caught her reflection in a mirror, she saw a smile that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Nothing about that smile was fake.


	4. Etiquette

Ben sat at his normal lunch table, tapping his foot anxiously as he waited for Rey to arrive. Everyone was avoiding his table like normal, but he knew the minute she sat down, all eyes would be on them.

He had laid on his bed the night before thinking about Rey. She seemed very innocent, but he also sensed a darker side to her that he desperately wanted to explore. Sure, he had a handful of girls he messed around with, but they didn’t go to his school, and they certainly weren’t anything like Rey. He had to remind himself that she wasn’t actually interested in him. He didn’t know why that bummed him out, and he didn’t feel like exploring it.

“Ben!” Rey shouted from the entrance to the cafeteria. 

Ben nodded his head and pointed to the seat across from him, using his foot to push it out for her. She beamed at him as she sat her lunchbox on the table, and he couldn’t help but send a small smile back.

“So you’re still doing this for me?” He asked, leaning across the table so he didn’t speak too loud.

Rey looked at him, confused. “Of course. I shouldn’t have done what I did to you, so now I am sentenced to spending a grand total of two hours a day pretending to like you.”

He huffed a laugh and looked away from his fake girlfriend’s bright, hazel eyes, feeling his cheeks heat up at the sound of her amused voice. Rey got to work setting up her lunch, making sure everything was arranged nicely before taking the first bite. Ben watched her with critical eyes.

Rey finally looked up and saw he was staring. “What?”

Ben gestured to her. “Are we about to eat with the queen of England?”

She rolled her eyes. “No.”

“Then what’s up with all the etiquette shit?”

“I just have to have everything arranged correctly before I start to eat. It’s a habit I started a while ago.” She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin.

“Did ole granddaddy teach you that?” Ben’s tone hardened.

Rey paused, looking into Ben’s eyes with a twinge of guilt. “Yes.”

Ben grunted in response. She avoided his eyes as she ate her garden salad. Some students to their right stared at them and pointed, clearly talking about them.

“We’ve got an audience,” he whispered. 

Rey looked up, meeting the eyes of the group of students, causing them to laugh loudly, not even bothering to hide their judgement. She looked away quickly and tried to shove her anger down. Ben watched the emotions flash across her face with interest.

“Do you want to say something?” He asked, smirking.

Rey took a deep breath. “They’re just stupid.”

“Is that what you really want to say?” He pressed.

After a moment of hesitation, she spoke again. “They’re a bunch of fucking cocksuckers with brains so small, if they were made of dynamite then there wouldn’t be enough of it to blow their fucking hats off.”

Ben’s eyes widened into saucers. He was almost giddy.

“Now, now, that’s not how a lady speaks,” he taunted her. “Such foul language.”

Rey glared at him. “You asked what I really wanted to say, so I said it.”

Ben laughed. “I know, I know. I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It was really witty.”

Rey looked at him sheepishly. “I read that somewhere, so I can’t take credit for it. It just stuck out in my mind.”

“I’m starting to find you fascinating, Rey Palpatine.” 

He watched her face change from surprised to embarrassed to happy. She couldn’t help the huge smile that stretched across her face. It was the first time she had been able to speak freely without her grandfather yelling at her about her language. Ben actually wanted to hear her true thoughts.

“Look at the happy couple,” James’s baritone voice jarred them out of their moment. It was slightly muffled by his nose bandages.

“What do you want?” Ben asked, clenching his teeth. 

“Nothing,” he lied, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Rey. “Just wanted to say congratulations.” He turned towards Ben. “Have you fucked her yet?”

The rage that flashed in his eyes surprised Rey. He balled his hands into fists as he glared at James

“Why are you here?” He growled. “Boob job didn’t go well? Wasn’t it a two for one deal?”

James only grinned, the evil seeping off of him. Rey knew he was trying to make Ben lose control, and unfortunately, he was doing a very good job.

“Ah, deflecting to hide your insecurities. So you haven’t fucked her yet. Too bad. She needs someone who knows what they’re doing. Not some freak show loser.” He turned to Rey. “You’re a virgin though, so you wouldn’t know the difference”

Ben shot out of his chair, knocking it over behind him. Rey stood up quickly—she couldn’t stop him if he did anything, but maybe she could calm him down. James pressed himself against the back of the cafeteria chair, clearly terrified by Ben’s looming body. He slammed his hands down onto the table, making everyone jump and attracting the attention of a male teacher sitting at the other side of the room.

“Say one more disrespectful thing about her,” he snarled. “Go ahead. Say it. I’ll break your fucking nose again. Want to see how bad that hurts? Of course not, because you’re a fucking coward, just like you were the other day. Beating up some defenseless animal so you can feel like you’re the man then screaming like a stuck pig when I started throwing punches.”

“Ben,” Rey spoke softly. Both boys paused.

She came around the table and laid her hand on his arm. He whipped his head around to her and felt himself relax as he looked into her wide eyes. He thought she would be scared of his outburst, but he could swear that he saw something akin to gratitude through his foggy glasses.

“Mr. Solo, come with me to the principal’s office NOW.” The male teacher had moved from the back of the room to stand next to Ben with a stern expression on his face.

Ben never took his eyes off of Rey as he started packing his bag. James was already giving the teacher a sob story about how Ben threatened his life and his dog, but Ben didn’t pay attention. Rey’s comforting smile was all he needed.

“I’ll find you at the end of the day,” Ben reassured her.

Rey nodded her head and watched the teacher pull Ben’s giant body away towards the exit. The rest of the cafeteria watched and mumbled to themselves, and Rey heard her name spoken more times than she could count. She sat back down, determined to act unbothered and finish her lunch. She was ready for the day to be over.

**

Rey breathed a sigh of relief when Ben walked out the door and made his way to her. He didn’t look any worse for wear, but his eyes were rimmed red and his glasses were smudged.

“Are you alright?” She asked hurriedly.

Ben hooked his thumbs in his backpack straps and stood in front of her with a blank expression on his face.

“As alright as I usually am,” he said, his voice hoarse but firm. “That fucking punk bitch tried to tell Principal Mitaka that I said I would kill his dog. He’s the one that kicked it, but I’m having to defend myself.”

Rey shuffled her feet back and forth, remaining silent. Ben bent his head and looked at her suspiciously. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Uh uh, what do you want to say to me?” He bent further down.

Rey chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before speaking. “I’m just...I don’t know. You stood up for me. No one has ever done that before.”

Ben’s mouth fell open in surprise. “What?”

“I guess I’m saying thank you.”

He turned her words over and over in his head while he stared at her. She wasn’t afraid of him. She was HAPPY with him. Wordlessly, he took her by the hand and led her towards her car, walking slowly so that they would have more time together.

“You’re welcome.” He spoke, breaking their sweet silence. His voice was barely a whisper.

Ben stared into her eyes with a look of adoration she had never seen before. His mouth turned up into a small smile while he watched Rey watching him. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She held his gaze, feeling electric as his eyes roamed over her lips and neck. He squeezed her hand and started to lean forward.

“Rey!” Poe’s voice broke the connection, and the two stepped away quickly like they were both on fire. Ben cleared his throat while Rey fidgeted with her hair.

“Um, I’ll just, I’ll text you or something,” he murmured.

Rey nodded, unable to speak, as he whirled around and made a bee line for his truck before Poe, Finn, and Rose could get there. Once they arrived, the three friends gathered around Rey and started drilling her with questions about Ben, the incident with James in the cafeteria, and anything else they could think of. Rey did her best to answer, but she felt very off. Every time she spoke about Ben, it didn’t feel fake. Whenever someone tried to say something negative about him, she defended him for real.

Maybe she wanted him to be real.


	5. The Non-Date Date

The rest of the week seemed to fly by. Ben had detention after school for his stunt in the lunchroom, so Rey only saw him in class and at lunch. They didn’t talk much in English class, but there were plenty of side glances. Lunch was a time for story telling and learning more about each other while Ben poked fun at Rey’s perfect etiquette. He challenged her to break character, to be herself, but it was as if she had set up extra walls to keep him from seeing inside too far after their intimate moment in the parking lot. It frustrated him.

They texted sporadically, both trying not to seem too eager. There would be a funny meme sent here and there, then a reaction emoji or a short response, but it never went deeper. Rey told herself she wasn’t disappointed. The whole school was talking about her and Ben, spreading all kinds of vulgar rumors that weren’t true. She was used to praise for her good grades and good behavior, but now it was completely different, even from her teachers. She was an outcast—even her friends spent less time with her. 

And for some reason, it didn’t bother her that much. 

Friday night came around. Rey was working on a research paper when a text came in. She saw Ben’s name and smiled, unlocking her phone.

Ben: Would you maybe want to hang out tonight?

Rey’s heart stopped. Hang out? Actually voluntarily spend time together? 

Rey: Okay. :)

She didn’t even have to think it through. She wanted out of her stuffy mansion of a house anyway. Grandfather Palpatine was away at a medical conference until Sunday night, so she could really use a distraction.

Ben: Alright. I’ll pick you up. What’s your address?

She sent him her address and bolted for her closet, looking for the trendiest outfit she owned. To be dark and brooding, Ben always had the nicest clothes from expensive stores. No one would know unless they looked closely, because he didn’t wear logos like the other guys. He didn’t care about things like that.

Rey wore what her grandfather approved, so that meant lots of collared blouses and tailored jeans. Nothing was even remotely revealing, but she had never cared until this moment. She had no personal expression except for “boring and rich.” That wasn’t her at all if she told the truth.

Hidden in the back of the closet, she found a mini skirt that was Rose’s originally. She remembered back in freshman year when Rose lent it to her after she spilled milk all over her pants. She was then lectured that she should always keep a change of clothes in case something happens, like a spill, or...a secret hot date.

God bless Rose and her deviant behavior.

Rey paired it with a matching shirt that was a little too small for her, a crew neck t-shirt with short sleeves that transformed into a crop top from getting scrunched up a little at the waist.

She looked in the mirror and marveled at herself. She was actually attractive if she did say so herself. She just needed to ditch the American Girl doll wardrobe and get a few tattoos and piercings.

There was a smoky eye shadow palette from Halloween last year hiding in the back of her makeup drawer, so she pulled it out and carefully tried to smoke out her eyes. After struggling for a good ten minutes, she finally looked how she wanted. She left her hair down and pulled on her combat boots and waited by the front door, phone in a death grip.

The sound of a loud truck engine mixed with rock music made its way up Rey’s driveway. Ben jumped down from the driver’s side, determined to be a gentleman, but he stopped cold when he took in the sight of Rey walking out her front door.

Ben usually didn’t care about the girls he dated, if he could even call it dating. He got what he wanted and sent them on their way without much thought. 

He vowed then and there that he would never do that again as he examined Rey from head to toe. Those girls were history. Monogamy sounded like a dream. He wanted to be with Rey, for real.

He wanted Rey forever.

He squashed that thought so violently that his head jerked sideways with a mild shake.

She stood awkwardly in the middle of her long driveway while he watched her with his mouth hanging open. She was aware of his eyes on her, and it made her blush. It was a full thirty seconds of silence before Rey cleared her throat, breaking Ben out of his trance. 

He rushed over to her, embarrassed, but not enough to break the trance entirely. “You...”

He swallowed, shamelessly looking her over once again.

“What?”

“You! You...you...” Ben found words difficult.

“I, I ,I...” Rey teased him, a knowing smirk growing on her face. 

Ben was redder than she had ever seen him. He shook his head as if it would reset his brain.

“Are you ready to go?” His voice cracked.

“Hey, where are your glasses?” She asked, noticing his bare face.

He shuffled his feet. “I only wear them at school so I can see up close without straining my eyes. It’s not even that bad but my mom wouldn’t shut up about it, so I got the fucking glasses.”

Rey gave him a toothy grin. “Ah. Well, just so you know, I like you both ways.”

Ben scratched the back of his neck nervously. “Yeah, okay...thanks. Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” she answered softly, having to look away from his eyes that were now solid black. She had never seen eyes dilate like that before.

Ben held out his hand and helped her into the truck, mentally cursing as she stepped up and bent slightly to slide into the passenger’s seat. The skirt was quite short, but still long enough to leave Ben to his torturous imagination.

He walked slowly around the truck, readjusting himself and breathing in through his nose and out of his mouth. It was ridiculous; he wasn’t inexperienced. This wasn’t something new. This wasn’t even real! So why was his heart trying to beat out of his chest like a DJ dropping the beat?

Rey noticed that Ben had traded his dreary black hoodie and distressed black jeans for a short-sleeved black polo shirt and a pair of dark jeans that looked brand new. It warmed her heart as she took him in, knowing he had done that just for her. She could faintly smell his cologne, something he never wore at school. It made her shiver.

The drive was quiet and shy, but it was strangely comfortable too. Just being in her presence made Ben breathe and his shoulders drop. Rey had never felt prettier or more confident.

The diner was packed with students since it was a Friday night. It was the place to be if you were a teenager in that town. 

“What are you doing?” Rey asked as Ben slid into the opposite booth.

“I thought I was sitting. Is that allowed, your highness?” He snarked, making Rey roll her eyes. 

“You’re supposed to sit with me on my side, remember?” She bit her bottom lip while Ben processed her words.

“Oh shit, yeah, right...you...I didn’t think you would want to be that close.” Ben started to get out of the booth.

“Do you not want to? If you’re uncomfortable then it’s okay...” she said, purposely not giving Ben any room to avoid embarrassment. 

“Fuck no. Scoot over; you’re hogging the whole damn thing.”

Rey giggled as she scooted. He was the one that took up most of the space with his huge body, but she didn’t complain. 

Ben watched in awe as Rey devoured two orders of fries and a large burger while downing a soda. He had never seen a girl eat like that, and he ESPECIALLY didn’t expect Rey to eat like that. Everything was prim and proper at school, all the way down to how she laid out her fork. She glanced up at him, her mouth full of fries, confused.

“Wow,” he said, bending slightly so she could hear him better. “You know you’re like a fucking wild animal right now?”

Rey’s eyes widened as she continued to chew the too-big bite of fries, but then her nose scrunched up, and her eyes crinkled into a smile as she nodded. Her scrunched nose was so cute—Ben had to remind himself to breathe. 

“Your dinner manners are not the same as your lunch manners,” He continued, his tone playful.

Rey smiled again, making her look a little like a chipmunk. Even when she tried to talk with her mouth full, Ben found it endearing. Disgusting, but endearing.

“I’m fucking tired of eating like I have a stick up my ass,” she spoke, her words muffled by fries. 

“What changed?” He asked.

She paused her chewing while she looked at his soft, mahogany eyes. “I just feel like myself when I’m with you. I don’t have to pretend with you, which is funny because this whole thing is pretend.”

Speechless, Ben reached over and ate his own French fry while he tried to calm his excited heart down. 

“Well, I guess...thanks for saving the best parts of yourself for me,” he quipped, forcing his voice to be steady. It was supposed to be sarcastic, but the happiness he felt at seeing her be herself with him was overwhelming.

Rey laughed hard, making Ben smile. “You’re welcome.” 

Her mouth was still full. 

“Where do you put it all?” He poked her side, making her jump. “You’re the size of my thigh.”

The fries were finally chewed and swallowed. “High metabolism.” She shrugged. 

“Do you play a sport or something?” He asked, trying to hide how truly curious he was. 

She shook her head. “No sports. I love to run, so I do that every day if I can. I have to be careful though because I can’t get too thin, not again.”

Ben furrowed his brow. “Again? What are you talking about?

He watched the color drain from her face as she sat back against the booth. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. He immediately regretted his question.

“Sorry, you don’t have to—“

“No,” she interrupted. “I’ve only ever told Rose. I normally would never ever reference it, but with you, stuff just kind of comes out.”

Ben’s mouth pulled up at the side listening to Rey’s confession. 

“You really don’t have to talk about it.” He was sincere. 

“I know,” she said, grabbing another a fry. “But I want to if you want to.”

He nodded his head quickly. “Yeah, yeah, I’d like to hear more about you anyway.”

The words flew out of his face the same way Rey’s had, and he covered his mouth with his large palm to hide the fearful way his mouth dropped open at his admission. She didn’t seem to notice as she took a deep breath.

“It’s not a long story or anything,” she began. “My mom and dad died in a car crash when I was seven. The only family I had left was my grandfather, but he didn’t even know they were gone until I was eleven years old. My parents never told me about him—they acted like everyone except them was dead, so I bounced around in foster care until he found me. I had a lot of bad foster parents, so I ran away a lot and wouldn’t eat for long periods of time.

Ben bit his tongue so hard that he tasted blood to keep himself from tearing up. He felt his heart shatter with every word she spoke, and he didn’t know exactly how to handle his own emotion. He tried focusing all of his emotion on Rey, determined to help.

“Rey...” he whispered.

“It’s okay,” she comforted him.

“No, it’s not okay,” he argued. “You can’t be okay after something like that. Fuck. I’m so sorry you went through that.”

“But I truly am,” she spoke, holding his gaze. “It was just a few years. I don’t know how grandfather found me, but when he did, he bought a house here in Naboo and moved me in with him. He doesn’t speak about it, and I don’t ask. I’m just thankful to be away from those people.”

She shoveled more fries into her mouth while Ben gaped at her. She was so nonchalant, as if she were talking about the weather or what she had planned for the weekend—completely put together and composed. No wonder he sensed something darker underneath the surface. He was talking to a girl much tougher than she acted.

“Thank you for telling me,” he said softly, cupping her cheek with his hand. She stopped chewing, frozen by the sudden physical show of affection. It was a long moment before he realized he could feel the lump of fries in her mouth. She laughed, making him laugh and drop his hand so she could finish chewing.

As they looked at each other fondly, a teenage boy and girl walked up to their booth and slid in without asking for permission. Rey jumped at the interruption. Ben gritted his teeth, his whole body tensing up.

“Lookie, lookie, lookie what we found,” The auburn-haired boy announced, a smug smile on his face.

“Which girl is this one, Solo?” The unusually tall blonde asked. She ran her hand through her pixie cut, fixing the curls on the back of her head with her fingers.

Ben put his arm around Rey protectively as he spoke while Rey sized up the two uninvited guests.

“Rey, this is Hux and Phasma, my friends from juvie.”


	6. Still Faking It

Rey wasn’t scared of the two former criminals in her booth. She had dealt with much worse during her time in foster care. She was angry that her time with Ben was interrupted right when it was about to get good. She swore off violence a long time ago, but these two imbeciles made her want to go back to her old ways.

“Hi, Hux and Phasma,” Rey said, her tone edgy as she tried to contain her anger. 

“This is Rey,” Ben added, squeezing Rey’s shoulders. “My girlfriend.”

Hux’s jaw dropped. “You mean, an actual girlfriend? Not a fuck buddy? What is that pompous school doing to you?”

Phasma leaned forward, putting both elbows on the table, looking right at Rey. “Rey, if you want to fuck around with Ben, that’s great. Just know that it won’t last. I really don’t want to deal with another whiny girl who Ben rejected. My patience is wearing quite thin.”

Rey could feel the heat rolling off of Ben in waves. She knew he was afraid she would run away knowing his history, so she surprised him instead.

“So what if he does? At least I would have gotten a proper fucking.”

Ben’s head turned so fast that he almost pulled a muscle. Rey looked up at him with a small smile. 

Phasma was stunned silent. Hux grinned like a mad man. 

“I like her,” he said, leaning forward to match Phasma’s posture. “Can I have her when you’re done, Ben?”

Before Ben could react, Rey intervened. “You can’t afford me. I fetch a high price around here.”

Ben’s mouth was in an O shape. Hux and Phasma sat back against the booth, completely and utterly bamboozled. He stared at Rey as she sat very still in the booth, seemingly calm and collected. When she met his eyes again, he realized what she was doing.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t be able to afford her,” he continued, leaning towards Hux threateningly. “And I don’t know when I’ll be done with her, if ever.”

Rey had to bite back the huge smile on her face.

“You’re fucking with us,” Phasma declared. “Ben, your new girlfriend is fucking with US! Is she mad?”

Hux looked at Phasma quickly as he realized it was all a joke. Ben could tell he was embarrassed from the red flush that rose up his face and into his ginger hair.

“I’m pretty mad that you interrupted our date,” Rey said smugly.

“Fucking hell,” Hux murmured to himself.

Phasma was boiling. “Ben, get your little bitch under control.”

Ben laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think so. And she’s not my little bitch. I believe Hux has earned that title for the night.”

Rey and Ben laughed together, and eventually, the humor of it all broke Phasma’s anger too as she joined in. Hux was livid but still remained slumped down in his seat. 

“You’re all real good pals, you know that?” He hissed.

“So Rey,” Phasma took a breath and relaxed, “it seems you’re actually kind of tolerable. What are you doing with this big dumbo?” She gestured to Ben and smiled at him lovingly. Ben rolled his eyes.

“I’m not really sure, to be honest,” Rey answered, looking up at Ben. “I guess we will see what happens, right Ben?”

He nodded, taking a sip from his soda. “We’ll see what happens.”

Phasma looked at Rey, thoughtfully. “Want to come with us to a party downtown? I heard they have really good weed. Do you smoke?”

“No, I don’t smoke,” she answered, her voice confident. “But we can go to the party if Ben wants to.” Her sentence ended as if she were asking a question.

“You’d go with me to that kind of party?” He asked, his eyes still round in shock from everything happening.

“The fun kind,” a recovering Hux quipped. “A lot more fun than this bullshit.”

“Um,” Ben cleared his throat. “Nah, you guys go ahead. I’m going to spend some time with Rey tonight.”

Phasma’s eyebrows shot upward. “I’m impressed, Solo.”

He smiled shyly as he felt Rey’s surprised eyes on him. “Go have fun. I’ll pick you two up later and drive you home.”

Hux and Phasma smiled widely. 

“We didn’t even have to ask,” Hux gloated and high-fived Phasma. “I think we have our own, personal chauffeur. The rich boy driving US around. How ironic.”

“Shut up and go,” Ben said, more forcefully. Hux scoffed and followed Phasma as the two left the diner.

Rey didn’t even have a chance to breathe before Ben was in her face.

“What the hell, Rey!?” He exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Do you even know what kind of people they are? They’re dangerous. I never know how they’re going to react to someone new. Usually they react poorly, to put it delicately.”

Rey shrugged against his rough grip. “I do, actually. I wasn’t afraid of them.”

Ben dropped his hands off of her shoulders. She missed the warmth from his broad palms. “You’re not at all what I expected when I agreed to this.”

“What did you expect?” She asked curiously.

Ben smirked. “Little miss sunshine-type of shit. I’d have to listen to you drone on and on about fundraisers and grades.”

“I could do that too if you want. I don’t want to disappoint you,” Rey giggled.

Ben’s eyes darkened as he smiled down at her. “No, not now that you’re my good girl.”

Rey’s smile fell. “I’m your good girl?”

Ben nodded. He placed his hands back on her shoulders and leaned in so his mouth grazed her ear. His voice was low and velvety. “You’ve been a VERY good girl tonight, Rey.”

She couldn’t breathe. 

There was a moment of hesitation where Ben let his cheek graze her own. All Rey could do was feel his hot breath on her ear and the soft scratch of his skin. It was as if he didn’t want to let go. 

“The best fake girlfriend ever,” he finished, pulling away. His eyes looked sad, but he was smiling and trying to continue what Rey now knew was a joke. “I’m just messing with you.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, trying to recover her senses. She felt like she had whiplash.

If Rey didn’t know any better, she would think his smile was forced, but she knew better. He would never be genuinely interested in someone like her. They were far too different, on two completely different paths. It was all an act, just like they planned.

She made her face muscles move into a big smile that didn’t reach her eyes. It took everything in her to say the words she needed to say. “Who knew I was such a good actress?”

Ben swallowed, his smile faltering. “Who knew...”

**

Ben paid for both of their meals even though Rey insisted she take care of her own. They walked hand in hand out of the diner, but the air around them felt cold, vapid. All of the heat from earlier had drained from them both. They didn’t speak as they drove out of the parking lot. 

A few minutes passed before Ben couldn’t take it anymore.

“Want to come to my place?” He blurted out, his voice louder than necessary. “I mean, I know the date is technically over, but (shit) I know you’re grandfather is gone for the weekend and everything. You could just hangout as a friend (fuck) or something. I was just thinking...(damn it)...I don’t know. But if you want to go home, that’s totally fine. I don’t care either way, obviously...”

“Let’s go to your place,” Rey put him out of his misery and interrupted his desperate stream of words. 

Ben froze. “Really?”

Rey smiled for the first time since they had left the diner. “Yeah, really. Didn’t you say you had that new virtual reality video game? ‘Oculus’ or something?”

Ben’s face lit up. “Yeah! Y-you like that kind of stuff? The one I play is fucking scary.”

“I live for horror movies,” she reassured him. “I would really like to play if that’s alright with you.”

“It’s more than alright,” Ben spoke quickly. “I never have a partner to help, so I always die.”

“Well then, never fear—Rey is here,” she laughed, pumping her fist in the air.

The grin on Ben’s face made him look more like a young boy than the 18 year old young man he had become. What she didn’t know was that Ben’s chaotic mind had finally slowed down, thanks to her. He had hoped upon hope she would want to come over, but he figured that was a stupid idea. He never thought of her as someone who played video games and watched horror movies. He never thought of her as someone who could be fun.

Fear coursed through his body. His brain screamed the word, “FAKE! FAKE! FAKE!” over and over in an attempt to kill the emotions trying to bubble their way to the surface. He had screwed up every relationship in his life—literally every single one. He would only screw her up too.

He didn’t think he would survive her.


	7. Virtual Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m SO sorry for the delay in updating! I may not be able to update over this weekend, but if I can’t, then I will go back to posting everyday starting on Monday. Some stuff came up that I wasn’t expecting, but just know that I am not forgetting about you!! I love all of you!!!

It turns out that virtual reality games are more stressful than Rey thought, especially horror games.

Neither her or Ben could make much headway in the abandoned hospital; they were too busy trying to show off to each other instead of working together to complete the virtual reality game. When they realized they were evenly matched, it turned into “how badly can they scare each other?.” At one point, Ben tripped over a side table and fell hard onto the plush carpet of his massive, finished basement. Rey got stuck in a strange loop in-game with ghosts and demons clawing at her and started screaming, causing Ben to run into the table a second time.

It was the most fun Rey had ever had.

“Do you need some water?” Ben asked, breathless. 

Rey flopped onto a large bean bag chair. “I need all the water.”

Ben laughed. “I need a medic. My parole officer is going to think I got in another fight.”

“Don’t worry. She will take one look at me and know you were only defending yourself. I’m obviously very intimidating.” 

“Officer Holdo is a pretty good read of people,” he pretended to think hard. “She’ll definitely see how vicious you are and clear me right away.”

Rey winked, and Ben turned and headed up the stairs before she could see the blush spread across his nose at the sound of her laughter.

Rey closed her eyes and enjoyed the family noises coming from the floor above her. Leia Organa Solo was a light to Rey. She hadn’t seen a mother figure in so long. Han Solo was usually missing, off driving a truck for FedEx all over the country, but he was there that night. He was charming and sarcastic, just like Ben. 

There was a bit of tension between father and son when Rey first arrived. She could understand, knowing their history. But it didn’t last for long before Leia had swooped in, wrapping loving arms around both Rey and Ben, and suddenly all the tension was gone.

Ben was embarrassed, of course, but he was sweet to his mother. Leia fawned over Rey, having seen her many times at high profile events but never speaking due to the Solo’s soured relationship with Sheev Palpatine. Now that Rey was in the Solo house, Leia intended to make up for lost time, treating her like a long lost daughter and spoiling her with attention. Ben finally had to pull Rey away from Leia’s vice grip and lead her to the basement, Leia’s lilting voice still echoing through the stairway.

Ben handed Rey her glass of water and sat down in the twin bean bag chair. He watched her guzzle the water like she was in a desert.

“Sorry for wearing you out with my amazing skills,” he said, chugging his own water.

Rey narrowed her eyes. “Don’t apologize. It was nice to play with someone almost at my level for once.”

Ben scoffed and threw a pillow at her, making her squeak in surprise. He smirked at her response.

“What do you want to do now?” He asked, looking at his phone. “Phasma and Hux found another ride, apparently, so I don’t have to leave. Do you need to go home? You d-don’t have to.” He stuttered through his last sentence.

It was midnight, and Rey was exhausted from the rollercoaster of a day. She knew her grandfather would not approve of her staying over at the Solo house, but she had figured out how to hack the tracker app he installed on her phone a long time ago, so he would never know where she was. He still hadn’t figured out he wasn’t tracking her anymore. It was an easy decision. 

“I’m really tired, so I mean...yeah, I could stay so you don’t have to leave again. Or I could call a car service-“

“No, no, don’t do that,” he interrupted hastily. Too hastily. Rey bit back a smile. “You can have my bed for the night.”

“No, I’m not taking your bed,” Rey argued. “I can sleep right here. It’s comfortable.”

Ben glowered at her. “I’m not sleeping in my huge bed if you’re going to sleep on a shitty bean bag chair.”

“The chair is as big as a bed!” Rey swooped her arm around the large, suede lump. “I’ve slept on way worse than this.”

She spoke playfully, but knowing what she was referring to made Ben’s heart squeeze. He couldn’t believe someone like her had lived so horribly and was still functioning. Juvie wasn’t a trip to Disney World, but he always had a bed at the very least.

“Then I’ll sleep here too,” he decided, wallowing down into the chair, cocooning himself until he was only visible from his shoulders up. 

“You’re going to sleep there?” Rey asked, pointing at him, clearly shocked.

“Why not? Don’t like the company?” He fired back, defensively.

“That’s not it at all, you big sod. I don’t care if you sleep there.”

“Then why is it a problem?” He goaded.

“It’s not a problem!” She threw back. 

“Sounds like a problem.”

“It’s not a ‘problem’ like you’re making it out to be.” Rey made a dramatic gesture between the two suede blobs. “It’s not...you’re not supposed to sleep there.”

“Give me one reason why I can’t.” He leaned forward as much as he could in his suede den. “It’s not like we’re actually dating or anything. I’m not going to cop a feel.”

“You think I don’t know that?” She also leaned forward, her face turning blood red. 

“I don’t know what you know or don’t know,” he said, pretending to be naive. “All I know is you have a problem with me sleeping in the same room as you.”

“I do NOT have a problem,” Rey was seething. “I’m just not used to a roommate, that’s all.”

“I’m not your roommate; I’m your fake boyfriend.”

“You are incorrigible!” She yelled. 

“I like porridge?” He couldn’t help but smile at his own joke.

“Fuck you, Solo. I think I WILL take your bed.” 

Rey attempted to rise from the chair only to fall backwards. It was difficult to get up from something so moldable. Ben started laughing.

“I thought you were taking my bed?” He teased. “Change your mind?”

Rey was livid but also...excited. It was fun to argue with Ben.

“I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of running me off.” She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “This is MY chair tonight.”

“So you’re not going to get up at all from that chair all night?” He asked, daring her.

“That’s right,” she accepted the dare. 

“All night?” He pushed. “Not for anything?”

“Not for anything,” she repeated. “And I’ve never lost a dare.”

Ben shrugged and stood up with only minor difficulty. “Alright, if you say so. I’m going to take a shower with my waterfall shower head and heated, tiled floor, then I’m going to find a snack to eat.” He looked at her knowingly.

Rey’s eyes bugged out of her head.

“You’re not going to eat the Doritos, though. You said you don’t like them that much.”

Ben grinned like the cat that got the cream. “I said I don’t like them that much, not that I don’t like them at all. I think I’ll have what’s left now that you mention them.”

Rey gripped the chair. “Please, Ben. Don’t eat those. Find something else.”

“I thought this was my house?” He put his hands on hips, enjoying Rey’s panic. 

“I...it...” Rey stuttered, “o-of course it’s your house. I was just planning on having more later on, and there aren’t many left.”

“Should have thought about that before you sat your ass down in that chair,” Ben snarked. 

He turned his back on her and headed for his bedroom, feeling her eyes staring daggers at him. 

“Alright! Alright! Fine,” she shouted, bursting out of the chair. Ben turned around and was met with a flustered Rey.

She threw her hands in the air with frustration. “Fine, you win. I lost the dare or whatever. Yes, I had a problem with you sleeping in the same room because I’ve never had a boy sleep in the same room with me. Okay? Happy? Don’t you dare touch those Doritos.”

That was not the response Ben had expected. He figured she just didn’t want to be near him but didn’t know how to express it nicely. Messing with her was only way he knew how to handle the rejection before it happened. This was...something else.

“You’ve never had a guy sleep in the same room?” He asked, shock clearly evident.

“No,” she admitted, her voice small. “I’ve never...well, I never really had the chance to-“

“You’ve never dated a guy before.” Ben felt the his heart jump. “Have you?”

Rey looked at the ground. “No. I hadn’t even hugged a guy yet when we hugged in the parking lot that day.”

“That was your first HUG?” Ben knew he wasn’t making things better, but he couldn’t stop his mouth.

“YES,” Rey yelled back. She covered her mouth immediately afterward, realizing she might have awoken the whole house. “What other horrifically embarrassing things can I tell you? I obviously entertain you so much.”

Finally, Ben felt his brain slow down enough to remedy the situation, or at least try. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I...it’s not...that’s not something to be ashamed of.”

Rey scoffed and headed back to her poofy chair. “Your reaction says differently.”

Ben made his way over to her and sat down on the floor next to her, facing her so he could see her almost eye to eye. “Really. I’m so sorry. I haven’t met someone like you, ever. It’s not at all what I expected.”

Rey furrowed her brows. “What did you expect?”

“Well,” Ben swallowed, “I had started to think you were, you know...and no one knew about it or something. You know—not to break your pure image. You’re kind of...you have layers.”

Rey finally broke a smile, and Ben felt his body sag in relief. 

“Nope, that part of me is very real, unfortunately,” she said as she played with her fingers nervously. “I never had the luxury of dating. Grandfather would have had an aneurism if I had dated anyone before I was 18.”

“Good ole granddaddy,” Ben muttered bitterly. 

“Chyeah,” Rey laughed somberly.

There was a long stretch of silence as the two processed everything. Rey fought herself to keep her eyes on the television while Ben stared at his lap, running his hand through his hair and tapping the ground with his feet. He started to speak a few times, but he shut his mouth before any words came out. Rey pretended she didn’t notice.

Ben heard her sigh and looked up, meeting her eyes. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the television. He opened his mouth to try to speak again, but she interrupted him.

“So, that means all of my firsts have been fake.” She realized in that moment what was happening and so did Ben.

His face fell when he saw her frown.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I never would have agreed to this if I knew that. This isn’t the way to do it. A-and...not with me. The felon.”

“You’re not a felon. At least, I don’t think of you like that.” Rey said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Rey,” he mumbled, patting her hand.

There was a tense moment of silence as Rey built up her nerves to say the next words. She had to know.

“So you’re saying you wouldn’t have agreed to this fake...relationship or whatever we’re doing...if you knew me better?” Rey asked, suddenly crestfallen. 

“Of course not,” he said confidently. He would never let her think she was something to be used. The thought made him sick. “I would never knowingly do this with someone like you.”

Rey felt a heavy loneliness settle in her chest. “Right.”

Ben wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly felt like he had said the wrong thing. Rey looked positively dismal as she sat curled up, as if she were protecting herself.

“You can use my shower,” he offered, scrambling to make it better. “I’ll shower in the guest bathroom. I left some shorts and a t-shirt on my bed for you if you want to sleep more comfortably. They’ll be huge on you, but...”

He trailed off, watching tiny twitches of emotion cross Rey’s face as she looked at him.

“Thank you, Ben,” she said somberly as she crawled out of the bean bag hole she had made. “That’s really sweet. Do you mind if I go ahead?”

“Not at all.” Ben spoke too quickly again. “Do whatever you need; use whatever you want. Don’t worry about hot water. Just-“

“Thank you,” she repeated, walking towards his bedroom suite without looking back at him.

Ben sat on the floor for a while before he could bring himself to move.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered to himself.


	8. Grandfather’s Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I’m back at it this week. Bear with me: I’m churning this story out because of how fast my brain is going with it, so I’m not spending much time editing. It’s like I HAVE to get it down right now before I implode. 😂 I do a couple of reads for each chapter and correct what I find, but you may see something I missed. Feel free to tell me. 💜💜

Rey woke up in the middle of the night after drifting off while waiting for Ben to come back downstairs. He was gone longer than she thought he should have been, but she tried not to think about it too deeply. She already knew what was coming.

She looked over and saw Ben only a foot or so away from her. He had dragged his bean bag so it was next to hers and covered her with a blanket at some point in the night. He was sprawled out, his legs hanging off the edge because of his height. She listened to him snore lightly, her heart breaking a little.

When she turned to reach for her phone, she saw her clothes from the previous day in a neat pile, folded and washed. Her eyes widened, wondering when he had the time to do that. She never asked him to do her laundry—she would just put her clothes back on that morning. But here were her clothes, freshly washed. He had even followed the directions and hung her shirt to dry. She turned red when she noticed her underwear in the stack. At least she had worn something a little prettier than her boring, white cotton pair. Bullet dodged.

Her head was spinning. She looked at her phone. It was 4:00 AM. There was no way she would be able to go back to sleep now. It was going to be a long morning.

“Are you alright?” His husky voice came from her right, making her jump. 

“Oh, yes, I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said, turning her body to face him. 

“You were really passed out there for a while. I tried not to wake you up, but I guess you did anyway when I tried to lay down.”

Rey’s eyes widened. “You just now went to sleep?”

Ben nodded, rubbing his face and yawning. “Yeah, I took care of some things while you were knocked out. I hope you don’t mind that I washed your clothes over there.”

Rey didn’t mind. She just didn’t know how to say it, so she decided to wait and acknowledge it as she tried to think of what to do. No one had ever been so kind to her before. “I’m sorry I woke you. You should definitely get some rest.”

“No, it’s fine, really. I was hoping you would.” His words were like a kind stab to the chest, both warm and gut wrenching. She knew he had no idea what he was doing to her.

“Rey?” Ben asked, sitting up. His face was concerned. “Are you okay? I shouldn’t have overstepped—I’m sorry. I should have asked. Fuck, I probably shrunk something. I’ll replace it...”

“Ben, stop.” She held up her hand. “It’s not that. I’ve never had...well, no one’s ever done something like that for me before. I know that sounds overly dramatic or whatever.”

Ben sat up more and leaned forward. “It doesn’t sound dramatic. I believe you.”

Rey smiled. “But, thank you, of course. You didn’t have to do that. Plus, you hung my blouse properly to dry. I’m very impressed.”

Ben barked a laugh, turning red. “I have a thing about that. A lot of my shirts have to be laid out flat to dry or whatever, so it’s a pet peeve of mine when it’s not done right. I don’t know why.”

“Well, your bedroom and bathroom are very neat, so I gather you’re quite a tidy person.”

Ben blushed harder. “Yeah, I guess.”

He was smiling. It was small, but Rey could see it even in the dark. It made her want to cry.

“So, I guess this whole thing is ending now. How do you want to act after we’ve ‘broken up?’” She was proud of herself. The bandaid had to be ripped off at some point before the morning.

Ben furrowed his brows. “What?”

Rey sighed. “You know. You said you would never do this with someone like me, and now you know me. So, I thought that was it, then.”

Ben went quiet. She could see him looking at her. She stared back, her mind running too fast.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, you’re right. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

She was falling into a dark pit.

“Right,” she repeated. The silence engulfed the room like a thick fog.

“Yeah. We can just not speak to each other or anything. People will figure it out when I’m not around you.” Ben’s voice shook slightly. 

“What about the fact that it’s only been a week?” She asked, hoping a little.

“People know how I am,” he said, his voice full of self-loathing. “It would make more sense if we ended sooner than later.”

“That sounds like the best way,” she agreed. Her throat was thick as she held back tears.

There were so many things they wanted to say to each other, but it seemed that the moment was missed entirely.

“Try to sleep. I’ll wake you up tomorrow and take you home,” he spoke into the silence. He sounded like he was trying to cover a bleeding wound.

“Okay.” 

Rey’s voice was so small that she barely heard it, but Ben must have because he rolled away from her and covered himself with a blanket. 

The conversation was over.

**

The week turned into a month. Rey and Ben had not spoken since he dropped her off the morning after their night together. Text messages seemed forbidden between the two, an unspoken rule. 

Ben’s moodiness had increased greatly. No one even looked at him because he was so unpredictable. Random outbursts in class, screeching out of the student parking lot at the end of the day, endless stints in detention—Rey wasn’t sure if he would make it through the year.

Meanwhile, she withdrew into herself. The only coping mechanism she knew was to stay busy, so she threw herself into her studies. Rose, Finn, and Poe tried to ask her what happened, but she couldn’t tell them. They eventually stopped asking. Rey was thankful they always invited her to hang out on weekends or after football games, but she always declined. They knew she would, but they asked anyway, trying to love their friend the best they could.

It was a Friday evening when grandfather Palpatine summoned Rey downstairs for a chat. He had her sit in the library while he paced back and forth in front of her, rage radiating from him. She breathed, trying to make herself stop shaking. 

“Do you know why I called you, Rey?” His nasally voice cut through her brain like an air horn.

“No sir,” she answered. 

He dragged his fingertips across the grand piano in the center of the room while Rey waited. Finally, he stopped and sat down in one of the fancy study chairs with velvet cushions.

“A little bird told me that you stayed overnight at the Solo house.” 

Rey felt the blood drain from her face. He stared at her, unfeeling, almost inhuman. 

“Is that true, Rey?”

She was silent and stared at the ground, panicking inside. 

“ANSWER ME,” he roared, causing Rey to jump. 

“Y-yes, grandfather,” she stuttered. “It’s true.”

“Hmm,” Palpatine hummed and examined his perfectly manicured nails. “Why?”

Rey chewed her bottom lip and tried to gather her thoughts. “Well, I went to see my friend Ben.”

“Ben Solo?” Palpatine hissed.

“Yes. We ate at that diner down on fourth street and played video games at his house. His parents didn’t mind if I stayed over-“

“Leia and Han Solo didn’t mind if you stayed over,” he mused, rage simmering behind his eye balls. 

“N-no?” Rey knew her grandfather had a problem with the Solo family, but he had never spoken their names to her.

“Of course they didn’t. They would love to take you away from me. It would bring them great joy to see me living alone while my only kin, my only granddaughter, turned her back on me without a second thought after everything I have done for her.”

Rey furrowed her brows. “I wouldn’t..what? Why would they want me?”

Palpatine sniffed. “Because they wish nothing but pain for me. After Anakin died, they tried to turn the whole city against me, but they failed miserably and looked like fools.”

“Who is Anakin?” For some reason, Rey recognized that name but couldn’t place it.

“My student,” he answered, his face twisting in disgust. “He was a prodigy. I had high hopes for him. He would have been the best surgeon to ever exist, but he became obsessed with charity.”

Rey felt a cold chill wash over her as she listened to his story.

“He insisted on helping the poor, the oppressed, thinking he would change the world. His obsession with the impoverished took over his life. He neglected his practice here with me—started scheduling fewer and fewer surgeries. He was spiraling into oblivion and didn’t even realize it.”

“But,” Rey couldn’t stop herself, “isn’t that good? To offer medical care to those that need it but can’t afford it?”

Palpatine’s eye twitched. “It would have been good if he maintained his practice here in Naboo. It takes money, you know. Nothing is free. We started hemorrhaging money. Every time I tried to talk to him, he would fly into a rage, claiming that I was being greedy. I am simply a realist. It’s a noble pursuit to want to help the poor and the abandoned, but you can’t sacrifice yourself in the process. And especially don’t sacrifice the people who got you to where you are.”

He continued. “This madness continued until he was the only surgeon anyone wanted to see. He claimed that I was not a friend to the neglected and unfortunate. How is that the truth? I took you in, didn’t I? If it wasn’t for me, you’d probably be dead already. I prevented that.”

Rey swallowed bile that bubbled up into her throat.

“So, everyone turned their back on me, refused to let me treat them. They said I was evil, conceited. I was about to be on the streets myself. The irony was poetic.”

“What happened?” Rey’s voice was a whisper.

“What I warned him would happen,” Palpatine snarled. “He was attacked by the very people he was trying to help. He was life-flighted to me, because he knew I was the only one that would be able to save him, to make him normal again. So, I stepped out of plastic surgery so I could help him recover, focusing on only him. And he did recover, for a while.”

His voice lowered. “Once he was mostly recovered, we decided he was strong enough to have the surgery to repair his damaged cheek and ear. It was a shotgun blast or some rubbish that blew his face clean off—the boy had to wear a mask to go out in public. No one wanted him to be their surgeon when he was in rehabilitation just to eat and swallow. It sounds cruel, but it was inevitable.”

“It was a complicated surgery. He knew the risks.” Palpatine stopped suddenly, looking Rey straight into her frightened eyes. “He died on my table. He was so young, so full of promise. I mourned him just as much as his family, maybe even more. He was like a son to me.”

Rey felt paralyzed.

“That’s horrible,” she said, her voice shaky with grief.

“Indeed,” Palpatine said, standing up to walk around the room once again. “But my suffering was not over. His wife, Padme, accused me of murder. She claimed I killed the boy on the table. I was all over the news, international too. It inevitably went to trial where I was proven not guilty after weeks of agony. My name was finally cleared, but the damage to my reputation was done.”

Rey shifted. “What does this have to do with the Solos?”

He smiled. “Leia is his daughter. He had twins, a boy and a girl. To this day, she believes I am a murderer who has no business walking free. It grates on her to see me thriving, to see me continuing to inspire doctors all over the world with my discoveries, my innovations. She chose politics as a way to rise above me, but that has yet to happen. I am still the best plastic surgeon that has ever lived. And now, I’m a grandfather since I found you. I have received much deserved apologies for the attack on my character since I adopted you. Now, everyone knows the truth.”

Rey was speechless. She sat with her lips parted, her breath shallow as she stared at her grandfather. 

“Of course, Leia would want to brainwash you. Her and that miserable excuse for a husband. And Ben...you know what Ben is, which is why you will never see him outside of class again. Do you understand? There will be no more dates with that insufferable boy.”

Her tears were hot and stung her eyes, but she swallowed hard to stop them. Showing weakness to her grandfather when it came to Ben would be a mistake.

“Yes, sir.” 

Palpatine crossed the room and knelt down so he could cup Rey’s cheek. His breath was hot and slightly sour. 

“My precious granddaughter,” he purred. “You are the one thing in my life that is good. No one has your best interests at heart except for me. Remember that.”

He dropped his hand. 

“You are dismissed.”

Rey stood up on shaky legs and moved as fast as she could without flat out running. Once she made it to her room, she closed the door and fell to the ground, covering her screaming sobs with her hand. 

She knew. She just knew.

He killed Anakin.


	9. Her Protector

Rey hadn’t slept, and it showed. Honors English was her second class of the day, and she was already struggling to stay still. Knowing Ben was there was even worse. Her hands shook, her hair hung from her head as if she slept on it wet, and her face was extremely pale. 

Ben noticed immediately.

He didn’t speak to her, but he watched her closely as she took her books and laptop out of her bag and sat them on the desk. He watched her hands tremble and fumble just trying to pull open her small laptop, almost dropping it onto the ground when it slipped out of her hands. 

Everything in him wanted to move on, to forget—ignore her as much as he could and shove the pain away in a box in the back of his mind. He tried, he really did, but it never worked. One look at Rey and he felt his heart tear into shreds all over again. 

Now, something was wrong, and he couldn’t think about his own pain. She had never looked this way before, even the week after their fake breakup.

No, this was bad. He knew it in his bones.

Class started, but he didn’t listen to the teacher or open the app for his writing assignment on his iPad. He simply sat and watched every movement of Rey’s face and body. She was jumpy—just the sound of a pencil dropping made her gasp. Some students turned around and looked at her like she was crazy. 

He warred with himself. The desperation to protect her was growing, but he knew now wasn’t the right time. He would have to physically stop her from getting in her car at the end of the day. Texting or calling would be a waste of time since she wasn’t answering him.

“Ms. Palpatine,” the teacher called on Rey, who had been staring off into space.

She didn’t move, didn’t answer, didn’t seem to breathe. Ben furrowed his brows as he waited for the star student to answer the question.

“Rey,” the teacher called again.

“What the fuck do you want?!” She screeched, causing the entire class to break into quiet chaos. 

Ben’s mouth hung open.

“Ms. Palpatine, that just earned you a trip to the principal’s office and a week of detention,” the teacher spoke sternly, but the shock at Rey’s outburst was clearly visible as the normally docile woman tried to gather herself. 

Rey didn’t say a word. She simply shoved her things in her bag and marched out of the classroom without looking at anyone. 

Ben was scared now. He couldn’t wait for the end of the day.

“Mr. Solo! Where do you think you’re going?”

The teacher’s words fell on deaf ears as he ran out of the room. He eventually caught up to Rey just before she made it to the principal’s office. He tugged her arm so she would turn around. When she saw him, her eyes widened in fear.

“Ben, leave,” Rey warned, her voice small and shaky.

“What the fuck is going on?” He ignored her. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing,” she mumbled, trying to free her arm from his grasp unsuccessfully. “Let go.”

He pulled her towards an empty classroom instead, vaguely aware that it was the same classroom where they first met.

“Stop it!” She tried to yell, but it was weak. 

“Okay, sit down,” he commanded, his voice authoritarian. “You’re not leaving until I know what’s going on.”

She slid into a seat and let her head hang down so her hair covered her face. Ben pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, holding his hands out to brush her hair back so he could see her face. He, too, was now shaking.

“Rey, talk to me,” he whispered.

“I can’t. You can’t...Ben, you have to leave me alone.”

“Fuck that,” he answered immediately. “Tell me what’s happening. Something bad is going on. Do you need help?”

Rey was silent, which told Ben everything he needed to know.

“We’re going to my house,” he announced, gathering her up in his arms and forcing her out of the classroom. He was so keyed up that he almost carried her right off the ground.

“No, no, Ben. If he finds out...” Rey pushed against him, but she knew it was useless. 

By the time they made it to Ben’s truck, Rey had stopped fighting. Now she was silent, her face paler than before. Ben sat her in the passenger’s seat and sat down next to her, cranking the truck and backing out of the parking spot faster than he should. Finally, they were alone.

“Rey,” he said her name, trying to keep his voice soft, “you have to talk to me now. If you don’t, I will find out myself.”

Rey’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. “No! No. You can’t do that.”

“Why?” He argued.

“What if he does it to you, too?” Her voice was desperate.

Ben furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about, Rey?”

A tear fell on her hand, clasped tightly by Ben’s. “He did it.”

Ben leaned to the right, trying to hear better. “Who did?”

“He...”

“Rey, what happened?”

“HE KILLED HIM!” She screamed, causing Ben to swerve accidentally. He recovered quickly.

“Who is ‘he’?” Ben asked, working hard to stay calm.

“G-grandfather,” Rey whispered.

“Fuck,” Ben mumbled and pulled over into the parking lot of the grocery store they were passing. He left the truck running so they would stay cool and unbuckled his seatbelt so he could pull Rey closer. She slid over without resistance and crumpled into his chest.

“Who did Palpatine kill?” He asked again, trying to get control of his own fear. “You have to tell me right now.”

The tears were falling faster, soaking into Ben’s black t-shirt. He didn’t care.

“Your grandfather,” she whispered, her voice breaking with a sob as she wailed, letting everything go. 

Ben froze, remembering a strange conversation he had with his mother a long time ago about his grandfather, Anakin. She had told Ben that Anakin died young, but when he asked her how he died, she became quiet. When he asked again, she finally responded with only three words, 

“Evil found him.”

**

Rey didn’t think she would see Ben’s basement again, but here she was, sitting in his suede giant of a bean bag chair holding a box of tissues while Ben paced the room, Googling everything he could find about Anakin and Palpatine.

“He was acquitted at trial,” he mumbled, reading about Palpatine. “Afterward, he left for Europe and was gone until he found you. That explains why he needed you.”

“To fix his reputation here,” she muttered, sniffing. “Adopt a charity case and change people’s perception of him.”

“You’re not a fucking charity case,” Ben growled. 

“Well, he told me he got a bunch of apologies once he brought me home. Everything makes so much sense.”

Ben nodded. “No wonder my parents hate him.”

“I’m glad they don’t hate me.” Rey gave Ben a tiny smile.

“They would never,” he said, comforting her.

Rey sniffed again. It was as if nothing had gone wrong between the two of them. The minute she was threatened, any animosity Ben had towards her flew right out the window. 

“Thank you,” she whispered weakly. She shook her head back and forth. “It’s not like I don’t know what a horrible man he is. I’ve always known he only serves himself. But murder?”

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Ben sat down in the bean bag chair next to her, still shoved against hers from their night together over a month ago. “Every time I see that guy, I feel like I’m staring at the devil.”

Rey nodded.

Ben continued to look at his phone while Rey watched him. Concern grew on her face.

“Ben?”

He looked up at her, his eyebrows raised.

“Do you...because I’m his granddaughter, do you think you would resent me one day?” Her voice shook again.

He shook his head. “I think you could try to kill me yourself, and I would still care about you.” He huffed a laugh. “I’d probably let you too.”

His candid words shocked her. “What?”

“Well,” he smirked, “if Rey Palpatine is trying to kill me, I probably deserve it.”

She giggled and threw a pillow at his face, but he caught it before it hit. He beamed at her.

“There she is,” he said, encouraged. “I haven’t heard you laugh in so long.”

Rey swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “I haven’t heard you laugh either. I-I’ve missed you. It. You’re laugh, I mean.”

Ben held her gaze, a new kind of confidence filling him. He climbed out of his chair and stood in front of Rey. She looked up at him curiously, then he held out his hand. She took it, and he pulled her up a bit ungracefully, making them both laugh. Once she was standing, he pulled her to him, hugging her freely. 

She hugged him right back.

“He’s not going to hurt you.” He buried his nose in her hair. “I won’t let him.”

She shuddered. “I’m afraid of what he will do to you if he finds me here. I’m afraid of what he will do to you, period. I didn’t want to drag you into this and put you at risk.”

Ben cupped the back of her head with his large hand, pulling her cheek in harder against his chest. 

“I’ll be fine,” he cooed, kissing the top of her head. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

She tightened her hold on him. ‘I don’t know what to do.”

He rocked her back and forth as if they were dancing while he thought through everything. There was no way he was letting her go back to her house. He had to figure out a way to get her things and show Palpatine that he wasn’t as smart as he thought he was. That shriveled prune of a man wouldn’t get to Rey, not now. 

Not now that he had her back.


End file.
